<TITLE>08. Par 72-82</TITLE>L-72 Like the man at the gate called Beautiful. He had been ditched from his mother's womb by the devil who had crippled him in his feet. His way of livelihood was begging alms from the people that passed by. And as he set at the gate that morning, he saw two Pentecostal preachers coming: not one dime among them, for he said, "Silver have I none." And a dime is the smallest piece of silver. "Silver and gold have I none."
I suppose the man thought something like this, "There's no need of getting my cup." Maybe he was trying to save enough money. He was forty years old, and maybe he was trying to save enough money, the physicians could make him a pair of braces to walk on; for in his ankles is where he was weakened. And maybe he had to have the money to lay on the line before the physicians would give him a support. And surely there's no need of him holding his cup to these Pentecostal preachers that had nothing. The opportunity, they was very poor, of ever being able to find a penny from them fellows.

L-74 But when he looked into their face, one young and blushing with youth, the other one, old and wrinkled; as John... As Peter and John went up to the gate, he saw something in that youthful man, that is, the blush was a little greater than ordinary. He saw beneath the wrinkles and cares of the Galilean sun that had scorched the old fisherman's face, there was a joy unspeakable, and full of glory. He saw something that seemed to be a little different.
You know, there's something about Christianity, that makes people look different. They are the prettiest people in all the world.

L-76 And he got his cup and he held it off. And the apostle Peter, being the oldest, said, "Silver and gold have I none." In other words, "I can't help you any to buy these crutches. Silver and gold have I none, but such as I have..." He'd been to buy from Him that had honey, and the joys of the wine of salvation. He'd just come, two or three days before that, from Pentecost, where something had happened.
And the young man sprung with a great big "amen" to it, and looked into his face.
What happened? That chain of sympathy, the compassion of Him that said, "I have compassion on the sick," that same Spirit had taken place in the old fisherman's heart. He said, "As far as money, I have none, but I've got something that'll take its place a million times. Such as I have..."

L-79 Now remember, Peter was a Jew, and they love money, naturally, but this Jew had been converted. Not "such as I have, sell I thee." "But such as I have, give I thee. Such as I have... I haven't got a penny in my pocket. I couldn't buy a loaf of bread, or couldn't buy nothing. I don't have a cent. But if you can receive it, such as I have, I'll give to you because it was given to me." That's what we need. "Such as I have, give I thee."
"What do you have, sir?"
"I've been up to Him that sells milk and honey without price. I'll give it to you. You don't owe me nothing for it. If you can receive it, I'll give it to you. Not as one who would charge, but those who would give."

L-82 Because, "As freely as you receive, freely give." It'd been the commission of his Lord, just three days before. "Go into all the world, preach the Gospel. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; and he that believeth not shall be damned. These signs shall follow them that believe: In My Name they shall cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; if they drink deadly things, it shall not hurt them; if they take up serpents, it'll not bother them. As freely as you have received, freely give." That Jew had been changed.
What we need in America is a changing of the Holy Spirit to take the place of some of our religious rituals. "As freely as you receive, freely give."
"Such as I have, give I thee. In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk," faith in that unadulterated Name of the Creator. No wonder he went leaping, and jumping, and praising God.


<A HREF="P9">Next Page</A>